State-building and Land Conflict in South Sudan State-building State-building and Land Conflict in South Sudan Peter Hakim Justin Peter Hakim Justin Propositions 1. A post-conflict state-building intervention that ignores history and local contexts can cause renewed conflict and violence. (this thesis) 2. Decentralising land governance in war-torn societies in Africa as a way of redressing past injustices on land can result in further tenure insecurity. (this thesis) 3. National environmental laws can only be successfully implemented when they are acknowledged by stakeholders rather than enforced by an authority. 4. Social scientists are better equipped to research their own settings than settings abroad. 5. The vision of the African Union presented in ‘Agenda 2063’ builds on the very colonial heritage it intends to dismantle. 6. Integrating ‘better governance’ of the oil revenues into peacebuilding interventions can enhance peace and stability in South Sudan. Propositions belonging to the thesis entitled: ‘State-building and Land Conflict in South Sudan’ Peter Hakim Justin 7 December 2020 State-building and Land Conflict in South Sudan Peter Hakim Justin Thesis Committee Promotor Prof Dr Ir J.W.M. Van Dijk, Personal chair, Sociology of Development and Change Group, Wageningen University & Research Co-promotores Dr W. Verkoren, Centre for International Conflict Analysis and Management, Radboud University Dr M. van Leeuwen Centre for International Conflict Analysis and Management, Radboud University Other members Prof Dr E.H.P. Frankema, Wageningen University & Research Dr D.C. Leonardi, Durham University, UK Dr J. Krause, University of Amsterdam Prof Dr Mr J.A.W. van Zeben, Wageningen University & Research This research was conducted under the auspices of CERES: Research School for International Development and Wageningen School of Social Sciences (WASS) State-building and Land Conflict in South Sudan Peter Hakim Justin Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of doctor at Wageningen University by the authority of the Rector Magnificus Prof. Dr A.P.J. Mol, in the presence of the Thesis Committee appointed by the Academic Board to be defended in public on Monday 7 December 2020 at 1.30 .m. in the Aula. p Peter Hakin Justin State building and Land Conflict in South Sudan, xvi + 182 pages PhD thesis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands 2020 With references, with summary in English DOI: https://doi.org/10.18174/533348 ISBN: 978-94-6395-595-9 Table of Contents Table of Contents ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- v Acknowledgements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ix Figures ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ xi i. The ten states of South Sudan, January 2005 – October 2015 ---------------------------------------------------- xi ii. The twenty-eight states of South Sudan, October 2015 – January 2017 -------------------------------------- xii iii. Disputed territories and borders in Central Equatoria State ---------------------------------------------------- xiii iv. The two conflict areas in Mugwo and Otogo Payams in Yei River County ----------------------------------- xiv v. The conflict areas in Giru village in Yei River County --------------------------------------------------------------- xv 1. General Introduction--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 1.1. Background ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 1.2. Research question ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 1.3. Theoretical Framework --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 1.3.1. Post-conflict settings in Africa: state-building and state formation ----------------------------------------- 4 1.3.2. Decentralisation and land conflict in post-conflict settings in Africa. -------------------------------------- 9 1.3.3. Displacement and land conflicts in post-conflict settings in Africa ---------------------------------------- 12 1.4. Methodology and study area ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 16 1.4.1. Methodology and methods for data collection ------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 1.4.1.1. Ethnography ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 1.4.1.2. Research Methods ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 1.4.1.3. Field approach --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19 1.4.1.4. Reflexivity --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 1.4.1.5. Ethical considerations ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21 1.4.2. The Study area: Central Equatoria State and Yei River County --------------------------------------------- 22 1.4.2.1 Central Equatoria State --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23 1.4.2.2 Yei River County ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25 1.5. Thesis outline -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26 2. Hybrid governance in South Sudan: The negotiated state in practice -------------------------------------------- 29 2.1 Introduction -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30 2.2 Methodology ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 32 2.3 Understanding State-Building in Africa: Hybridity and Negotiated State Formation ------------------- 33 2.4 The Institutional Legacies of Colonialism, Postcolonial Governments and SPLA Rule ------------------- 35 2.5 State-Building and Institutions in the Post-CPA Period ----------------------------------------------------------- 38 v 2.5.1 Structures of Governance ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 39 2.5.2 Land Governance and Institutions ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 40 2.5.3 Institutions of the Justice Sector -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41 2.6 Hybrid Governance in Practice: Local Governance and Land Conflict in Yei River County ------------- 42 2.6.1 Land Tenure and Conflict ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43 2.6.2 Conflict Resolution Mechanisms in the Justice Sector ---------------------------------------------------------- 46 2.7 Discussion: Negotiated State Formation and Hybridity in Practice ------------------------------------------- 49 2.7.1 Unpredictability of Negotiated State Formation ---------------------------------------------------------------- 49 2.7.2 Explaining Institutional Outcomes: The Two P's ---------------------------------------------------------------- 51 2.7.3 How Hybridity Works out for Citizens ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 53 2.8 Conclusions --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54 3. Governing Unclear Lines in decentralised governance: Local Boundaries as a (Re)source of Conflict in South Sudan -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57 3.1. Introduction ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58 3.2. Methodology --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59 3.3. The Colonial Legacy of Linking Ethnicity to Territory --------------------------------------------------------- 60 3.4. Internal Borders in South Sudan ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62 3.5. Old Borders and New Stakes in Central Equatoria State ----------------------------------------------------- 65 3.5.1. The Economic Prospects of Mangalla Payam -------------------------------------------------------------------- 67 3.5.2. Shifting around Wonduruba's Electoral Constituency --------------------------------------------------------- 70 3.5.3. The Border Contests between Yei River and Lainya Counties: The Choice between Cultural and Administrative Borders ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 72 3.6. Linking (Territorial) Borders, Identity and Local Government --------------------------------------------- 74 3.7. Linking Resource Conflicts to Identity ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 75 3.8. Identity as a Political Tool ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------